Dear readers,
Thank you coming to my blog and reading the blog's content. I know, this blog is quite bare as I'm kind of lazy actually and I think I still don't have any plan to beautify this blog with pics or any other things. My initial purpose to create this blog was to post my translation and uhmm.... experimenting (you know, making a blog, translating, editing etc). I need to excite my life and I'm really like reading any novel. So, there it is.
And so... about this chapter, there's some new characters. And this one girl, I truly hope she's really a good person and befriend with MC.
Oh.. I think I will divide the chapter into 2 or 3 parts next time, depend on how many Chinese characters I have to translate. I really, really tried to make a full chapter but it's too much for me.
Enough with rambling. Happy reading guys~~~
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Man Man Qing Luo
Chapter 06
[1] used by females of imperial family to call herself.
Ah Luo repeatedly told Juan er that she could never tell anyone about the riverside incident over and over again. After Juan er nodded and promised, Ah Luo trusted her entirely and didn’t persuade her again.
Ah Luo went to the outside of Right Minister Gu's gazebo and said with gentle voice: "This servants sent plum flowers to Madam Gu on behalf of Madam Li”.
A pleasant voice came out from behind the veil: "Come in."
Ah Luo bowed her head to greet a nd then she send the flower branches that she had just brought in with both her hands. She heard a sweet voice said: "Your madam is courteous, come and don’t be rude.” Then she looked at the girl beside her, “He Xin, you go along with the girl too to thank Madam Li and send some fresh fruit along with you”. The girl hurriedly took a dish of fresh fruit and went together with Ah Luo to outside the their gazebo.
Ah Luo was very disappointed, didn’t they say that Young Miss of Gu Family was here? How come behind in this gazebo veil, there was only Madam Gu and two servant. And then, she looked at He Xin beside her and suddenly found her quite beautiful. Her head slightly lifted, revealing a slender and white neck. Her hands were as white as jade. Ah Luo smiled and said: "Hello, sister, you are beautiful. Do you know if your young miss is more beautiful?"
There was a smile in the corner of He Xin’s mouth. Ah Luo looked at it and thought of Qing Lei’s smile that was as cool as the blue sky, but this He Xin was as light as chrysanthemum. She suddenly felt suspicious that this woman was Gu Tian Lin’s daughter, the second best young miss in Feng City.
She smiled and said: "Is Li Family young sister as delicate as you?"
Ah Luo startled and giggled: "Ah..yes, unfortunately she is, but I can't keep my little finger (promise) on sister He Xin."
In the Li Gazebo, two girls were talking to each other after they saw two figures through the transparent veil. They thought that this girl who dressed like a servant had splendid graceful bearing. In whisper, they argumented whether or not this woman was the young miss of Gu family.
He Xin went to the outside Li's gazebo and conveyed the gratitude of Madam Gu. Madam Li was trying to call her in. Ah Luo then took the fresh fruit from He Xin’s hand. She smiled and winked at her: "Sister He Xin, I will help you to send it in, and don’t let it delaying you to take care Madam Gu."
He Xin also smiled and said: "How should I to thank her in person."
Ah Luo chuckled and said, "Don't be! If Madam saw you, surely Madam will recognize you sooner or later." Ah Luo chuckled, "How embarrassing that I’ve said you were Gu servant, sister Tian Lin!"
He Xin was shocked, but the smile on her face remained unchanged. She had thought if she really appeared as a servant girl, she could gave Madam Li the gift directly. But who knew that she would be discovered soon later, it was really not good at all. So she reached and squeezed Ah Luo’s face: “Little devil, come to Gu Family House and find me to play together, ok!" Before she walked away, she whispered to Qing Luo: "Are you really only a servant in Li Family ?"
Ah Luo laughed and did not answer. She only wanted to test her but He Xin was trully Gu Tian Lin. It seemed that Miss Tian Lin also wanted to see how Li Qing Lei looks like! She didn’t hesitate to disguise as a servant girl and was merely observing around, but didn’t expect, there would be a consequences. Ah Luo tried to stop her, and it's a good thing that she had saved her. She wanted to stay safe in mansion for a few more years.
Looking at Gu Tian Lin's elegant back, Ah Luo grinned. She then side aside the gazebo’s veil and went inside. Main Madam looked at Qing Luo puzzledly. She didn’t know why she stopped Gu servant from coming in.
Qing Luo smiled and said: "I have seen daughter of Gu Family." She successfully changed the topic. In second, a few people surrounded Ah Luo and listened to her for a while. Qing Lei only had a faint smile. Apparently, she didn't seem to care much. When she heard that Qing Luo said that Gu Tian Lin was elegant, witty and intelligent, she snorted. There was a trace of disdain on her face. Ah Luo sighed, this eldest sister of her was very arrogant.
Madam Li asked her again: "Did you hear anything else? Did you met the Princes?"
Ah Luo’s was speechless, Juan er’s face were beginning to pale. Qing Luo had to answer: "I have not seen the Princes, but the daughter of Wang’s Family was definitely not as beautiful as the elder sister, even she can’t compared to second sister."
Qing Lei and Qing Fei could not help but smile.
At this time, she heard that Princess Hu Guo said: "Such a beautiful scenery, if someone play a zither, it will emphasize the beauty of flowers. I heard that daughter from Gu Family and daughter from Li family were always compared in Feng City, and their zither skills is told to be absolutely good. How about they both play the zither here?"
Ah Luo speechless, this was absolutely a leisure game disguised as a competition. There’s a silent for a while, but the two of them were willing to kiss the Princess face. Madam Li was a respected wive of Left Minister, so she asked Young Miss Gu to play a song first.
Soon afterwards, the zither’s tone rose from inside of neighborhood gazebo. The zither sounds were rich, it seemed came out from the heaven. Just in time before the zither sound finished, she recited Qu Yuan poem “Sorrow at Parting” while accommodated with "Pei Lan (Orchid)" music《佩兰》.
Ah Luo heard a gentle melodious voice came out: "Orchid grows in the empty valley, a fragrant surely uninhabited; a person should not be hidden away, whom together with desire."
It was obvious in one glance how Gu Young Miss, Tian Lin's character was. The meaning of the fore teller was slowly revealed by zither’s sound.
Ah Luo thought, there was no word to explain. A precious zither that wished to load on one’s mind, a young intimate friend who would listen to the string play. Gu Tian Lin's choice on this song was clearly intended for the Prince but the partial obscurity was to emphasize the search for soulmate in empty orchid valley. The meaning behind it was to not choose a woman who has the heart to seek the throne. Even when this song came down, even if in the future there was a Crown Princess, it was extremely unlikely to get rid those whom want to climb higher social status (这一曲下来，就算以后成了太子妃也不会落下一个巴巴去高攀的样子). Even if it was not, then this song was not a song for her soulmate.
Ah Luo turned and glanced to the other side. She observed that the opposite gazebos, except for Crown Prince and other four eligible bachelors which was empty, had been filled with other promising youths from Feng City. Some were hearing the song while shaking their head, it seemed there were plenty of demented people.
Then she looked at her sister, Qing Lei, she also had gotten nervous, she was afraid that her sister was affected by the previous song. Ah Luo was a little anxious, she didn’t know what songs which her sister, Qing Lei, would choose to play with.
Qing Lei slightly wrinkled her eyebrows. At this time, Ah Luo didn’t know why there was some sympathy towards her sister, before Qing Lei even had a showdown with Gu Tian Lin. Qing Lei and Gu Tian Lin was famous in the Feng City for being absolutely perfect, their piano skills couldn’t be said as weak. But it was known, if the song couldn’t reach people’s heart, the song would lose its momentum. And later, whoever it was, they would become a big joke in Feng City. Say if Qing Lei couldn’t compete with this person, Li Family would lose their face.
At this time, Gu Tian Lin finished the song. The Princess Hu Guo coughed twice and praised: "A really good song, ‘Pei Lan’, a young miss with a good heart and a good skills! Miss Gu, Bengong[1] only has this jade orchid hairpin. Come over, I will personally put this hairpin on you. ”
Gu Tian Lin stepped out from gazebo’s veil, she was truly that He Xin. At this time, she had changed her servant clothes. Her skirt was swaying, and her lotus step was slightly lifted. She went to the princess and knelled down. Princess Hu Guo took the orchid hairpin from her head and inserted it on Gu Tian Lin’s hair bun. Gu Tian Lin said her gratitude, after that she got up and slowly walked back.
Ah Luo looked at the opposite side, Gu Tian Lin appeared in front of a lot people sure enough many people was swooned.by her. Her eyes suddenly swept over a familiar face. Frightened, she was retreated back and hiding her face behind Qing Fei. Then she secretly look at him, the hero who was thrown into the river creek by her, was holding a peach blossom in his hand and sniffed it. And then he handed over the peach flower to the boy behind him.
That little boy took the flowers and went to the section of Gu Family. After a while, the little boy who sent the flower rose up and shuttled in front of the gazebo. On one hand, other womenfolk felt kind of jealous.
Princess also noticed this and smiled: "Eldest Young Miss Li, do you want to offer a song?"
Qing Lei replied in aloud: "I will play 'Autumn Water'."
Ah Luo burst a smile on her face. Gu Tian Lin had demonstrated one’s sincere conviction, and Qing Lei was not that bad either. "Autumn Water" was clear as an alcohol and fit for leisure, her ambition was quite high. This song was not lower than Gu Tian Lin’s.
After Qing Lei answered, she took a deep breath and extended her hands. She wasn’t sure why but the tip of her finger was shaking slightly. Madam Li was anxious: "Ah Lei, you must win, don't lose our face as a representative of Li House!"
Qing Lei's fingers trembled even more. Her grip was dispirited: "Madam, I.. I lost, my heart can't calmed down."
At this point, someone outside had been waiting impatiently and whispered.
Madam Li, Qing Fei, and Qing Luo were anxiously watching Qing Lei. Ah Luo couldn't help but said : "Eldest sister, you should imagine that you are playing zither at home, play it for yourself, and don't worry about winning or losing."
Qing Lei smiled bitterly: "If the mind calculated gains and losses, can let it go right away?" as she speak that she bowed her head, her countenance was pale and gloomy.
When she was three years old, she had touched the zither. She was proud and arrogant. Generally, Father Li was strict and disciplined and he clearly demanded her that he wanted to marry her into the royal family.
Although she had listened to the rumor about her and Gu Tian Lin that the Feng City had called them as talented twin, she actually quite care and listened to Gu Tian Lin achievements. There was also a reward form princess. Then the number of people who have fallen under the Gu Tian Lin ‘s sound of the zither was countless. It was extremely shocking. She and Gu Tian Lin’s skill were actually around intermediate level , but Gu Tian Lin was the first to win over, say how difficult it was to surpass the expectation! She had considered to give up many times till now, so she didn’t have any fighting spirit. Sighed heavily: "If I were to play first, Gu Tian Lin would feel the same as me right now!”. Convincing herself in her heart by saying that she has learned a little bit more than Gu Tian Lin.
Main Madam hurriedly said: "What kind of momentum is this now. Don’t be hesitate. Others are impatient, the princess are waiting."
Qing Lei was powerless. Unexpectedly, her body swayed, almost losing her consciousness and fall into Juan er’s arms.
Ah Luo looked meaningfully at Qing Fei. Qing Fei saw her gaze and shook her head, zither was not her strength. Ah Luo then whispered to Main Madam: "Madam, Qing Luo is willing to solve the sister's problem, but this matter must not leak out."
Main Madam stilled: "Why do think you will make it with you zither skills?"
Ah Luo slightly lifted her head: "Well.. It’s better than no one playing the zither, is it? Madam?"
After that, she sat next to the zither instrument and meditated for a while to calm her down. With one move, she pulled the the strings, her mind was in trance. She imagined the moment when she was in the sea shore and saw the sea wave in autumn. The scene was vast and bare, the sea water looked as smooth as blue silk satin. She stood facing these beautiful scenes, looking at how vast the sea was. All her mind and body was focused on the sea. As she fly like a bird, soared in blue sky. Sometimes low in the sea, the next time she was flying high. Flew freely at her will in the vast and deep sea as if it was only a pond.
Qing Lei’s whole face was shocked, she was in disbelief at this little girl who supposed have no skill. But look at her now, her body seemed to emit a kind of light. She couldn’t look at this anymore, no.. she was unconvinced.
Her little finger slide down to the string like a torrent of water, dripping with dews. And sometimes, it looked like mountains, majestic and towering towards the heaven. If you didn’t see it, you would think that it played from the adult’s hand, not little girl.
She could not help but sang: "In a propitious day, we pleased with exquisite fragrant . The tender peach blossoms burned with red, those magnificent colors seem outstanding. Autumn water is endless and inexhaustible, my heart is free and unfettered..."
Qing Lei sang a gratitude song to the Princess for Peach Blossom Banquet. Her voice was clear and expressed a high spirit. Accompanied with Ah Luo’s the zither plays which full of strength and resounding sound. They mutually harmonized with each other!
Draw the final note, Ah Luo and Qing Lei looked at each other and smiled.______________________________________________________________________